They would temporarily paralyze the city's communications so reports couldn't be sent to Anti-Skill or Judgment and then attack as a group to incapacitate the targets on a list of dangerous espers.
The plan was moving ahead nicely. Skill-Out was made up of a number of groups, but they had been contacted and each one had approved of the plan.
People, money, materials. Komaba and the boys and girls around him could tell they had gathered enough of those things to carry out the plan and they rejoiced.
But, at the same time, Komaba Ritoku had a thought: It won't be that easy.
Even if they surrounded the powerful espers with large numbers, it didn't guarantee that they could defeat them. And defeating them once didn't guarantee that they would be incapacitated. Most importantly, they were causing the battle between Level 0s and espers to spread even further. Also, the higher ups of Academy City were powerful enough to keep the city running and they would probably take actions to obstruct Komaba and the others' plan.
Another step was needed.
He needed to create a situation where the attacks on Level 0s would stop whether the plan succeeded or failed and no matter what other result it brought.
But he couldn't come up with such a step.
While he was trying to do so, it all began.
The higher ups of Academy City had sent the worst possible assassin to stop Skill-Out's plan. He was known as Accelerator. He was Academy City's strongest Level 5. He was fighting to protect the city from a completely different angle than Komaba.
After seeing him and fighting with him, Komaba Ritoku finally smiled slightly in his heart.
He had found that last step.
He had found the final piece needed to solve the problem of the Level 0s being attacked whether the plan succeeded or failed.
I win.
That was the last thing he muttered in his heart towards Academy City when the battle ended.
He was thankful that he had been fortunate enough to come across someone he could entrust his feelings to.